welcome to bbc news, broadcasting to viewers in north america and around the globe. my name is mike embley. our top stories: a special prosecutor, a former fbi chief, is appointed to investigate aleged russian interference in the us election, as president trump complains about his treatment by the media. no politician in history and i say this with great surety, has been treated worse or more unfairly. venezuela steps up its military presence along the colombian border as violent anti—government protests spread across the country. the record numbers of children who've fled war and poverty — we speak to the un in new york about the risks of exploitation. president trump's opponents have long argued for it,

and under the weight of the past few weeks of rolling crises in the white house, it's happened. a special prosecutor has been appointed to oversee investigations into alleged russian interference in the us election. he's a former head of the fbi, robert mueller. making the announcement, the us deputy attorney—general said it didn't necessarily mean crimes had been committed. and mrtrump claimed: "a thorough investigation will confirm what we already know — there was no collusion between my campaign and any foreign entity." our correspondent in washington, laura bicker, has more. he was appointed by george w bush. his senate confirmation hearing was held a few days before the september 11 attacks. he was kept on under president obama for another two years and retired in 2013. he was the predecessor and of the now sacked director of the fbi, james comey. tonight you cannot find a single republican or democrat who will criticise this man.

he seems to be well respected by both sides. so when it comes to appointing this particular prosecutor, although the name ‘prosecutor‘ is there does not necessarily mean that prosecution will follow, or crimes will be committed, but it does seem that he is well respected by all parties. is it clear why he has been appointed? the announcement seems to have taken many by surprise. the us media has been reporting that even the white house was not really given a lot of heads up, nearly 30 minutes before anybody else heard. but when you read the statement from the deputy attorney general what it seems to be suggesting is that there needed to be clarity. any outcome of any investigation needed to be separate from all of the politics that is going on in washington right now. it has been a tumultuous two weeks, especially the last 48 hours. when it comes to claim and counter

claim, there are several investigations going on within the fbi and donald trump's political opponents did not believe, certainly did not want to confirm any person who would be appointed as a director of the fbi by president trump, effectively, the man they would be investigating. there was distrust over that appointment and there ws also there was distrust over that appointment and there was also a second investigation going on within the senate, the house and congress. they are really beset by partisan politics. this is someone who will be on the outside, who is independent and can carry out his investigation unimpeded by any of the investigations or mudslinging going on. the appointment has been widely praised by politicians on both sides.

i happy about it. i think it is a good start in the right direction. these administration, with the new president, has been in crisis from week to week. it is one thing after another. i am week to week. it is one thing after another. iam pleased week to week. it is one thing after another. i am pleased that has happened. to bring in someone like duterte who has worked within the fbi, you have a prime decision maker working in the process. to be able to make sure they can continue their job you have an independent person asa job you have an independent person as a final decision maker. well, the white house controversies are making investors very nervous. the dowjones industrial index suffered its biggest one—day fall since mr trump was elected — and the us dollar was at its lowest

level against the japanese yen since april. it's not yet clear if the investigation will cover the latest allegations that mr trump asked america's former top cop — fbi directorjames comey — who he later sacked, to drop his inquiry into russian links. this from our north america editorjon sopel. donald trump was today on the way to the us coastguard academy as his administration seemed to be listing. our commander in chief, donald trump. this has been the most torrid week of the presidency and though he didn't address each individual setback, there was a message. no politician in history, and i say this with great surety, has been treated worse, or more unfairly. you cannot let them get you down. i didn't get elected to serve the washington media, i got elected to serve the forgotten men and women of our country and that's what i'm doing. he has become more famous than me!

far and away his biggest problem comes from the sacked fbi director james comey. the disclosure that james comey kept notes of his meetings with the president, including over the sacked michael flynn, is serious. donald trump is reported to have said to comey... amid allegation that this amounted to obstruction ofjustice, the white house denied any wrongdoing, saying the president hadn't told the fbi director to stop his work. it brought this from the democratic leader. the president says what comey says was wrong. prove it. it is easy to prove. as long as there are tapes or transcripts of what happened. if the president's right, he will have no problem releasing

memos, tapes, transcripts that corroborate his story. other democrats have started using the "i" word. i rise today, mr speaker, to call for the impeachment of the president of the united states of america. for obstruction ofjustice. this is not good for america. some influential republicans too a re growing restless, with comparisons to the days of nixon. i think we have seen this movie before, i think it's reaching the point where it is of watergate—size and scale and a couple of other scandals that you and i have seen. it has been a calamitous week — last tuesday came the firing of james comey with the white house giving muddled explanations about why. and then the president seemed to threaten the former fbi director, saying he had better hope there are no tapes of our conversation.

and the president divulged material to the russian foreign minister when he visited the white house. the president, who returned to the white house tonight, will be buoyed by this support, but that's what gets you elected, not what keeps you in power, and this administration can't afford any more weeks like the one that's just gone. we speak to the editor at the hill. the timing was interesting. while mr trump was at the white house, quite a few were taken by surprise? that's right. it was president trump meeting with attorney generaljeff sessions to fill the fbi director of

role. an order was signed and announcing that a special council was being appointed to zoom oversee the continuing investigation. the timing was really dramatic. a mere eight days since james comey was fired, capping off a tumultuous time. it seems every day there is something new. it took a lot of people in the white house seemingly by surprise. a lot of loose talk about impeachment, some saying this is the start of a process. we have been talking by donald trump supporters saying this is dream talk and democrats are still saw about losing the election. there have been democrats coming forward talking about impeachment and some republicans have come forward and

said if these reports are accurate, as directorjames comey memo says that donald trump asked to stop investigating flynn. now there is a special council, democrats really having praised for robert mueller coming out today saying the justice department, the deputy attorney general made at the right decision. calls for it impeachment but this investigation is continuing to wrap up. will the investigation includes events of the past few days all will it be left to the senate and the house investigation? both are

continuing. looking at the language we saw from the deputy attorney general, it would seem that the firing of comey would fall under the robert mueller investigation. it is unclear... we understand robert mueller, is a former fbi official, the longest serving fbi director... i should say the second longer. he and comey had worked together in the bush administration. the details of the comey issue will be looked at. the venezuelan government has stepped up its military presence in the state of tachira along the colombian border which it considers a centre for anti—government radicalism. it's after days of rioting and looting in the region that have left businesses destroyed.

more than a0 people have been killed nationwide since the protests to against president maduro flared up 6 weeks ago as greg dawson reports. from supermarket to squalor. this is the result of another night of looting in the venezuelan state of tachira. the shelves are empty and the floors are full of debris, dirt and rotting food. translation: we have been told an armed group on motorcycles was trying to get in. about 300 people came over the barriers. they took everything — equipment, cash registers, even refrigerators. it is notjust supermarkets. this is what is left of the family—owned bus station. translation: they were not government buses. they were mine and my family's. my father's. they left our business useless. the government says over 2,000 soldiers will be sent to the region to restore order. the looting and violent protests come

amid widespread shortages of basic goods — a symptom of the deepening economic crisis in venezuela. over the last six weeks, protesters have been demanding a general election and the chance to remove president maduro from power. over a0 people have been killed in protests across the country. the crisis was the subject of debate at a un security council meeting on wednesday where the united states appealed to president maduro to call free and fair elections. what we attempted to do in this meeting today is about prevention. we have been down this road. with syria, with north korea, with south sudan, we have been down this road. and rather than waiting for a serious situation where we have to have an open security council meeting, why not get in front of this? but the chances of maduro bending to the will of the us are slim. he has already accused washington of backing a coup attempt against him and remains determined to stay in office until at least 2019, when his term expires.

stay with us on bbc news, still to come: the london restaurant with specially composed music on the menu that helps you dine in the dark. this morning, an indian air force plane carrying mr gandhi's body landed in delhi. the president of india walked to the plane to solemnly witness mr gandhi's final return from the political battlefield. the polling stations are all prepared for what will be the first truly free elections in romania's history. it was a remarkable climax to what was surely the most extraordinary funeral ever given to a pop singer. it's been a peacefulfuneral demonstration so far, but suddenly these police are teargassing the crowd, we don't yet know why.

the pre—launch ritual is well established here, helen was said to be in good spirits butjust a little apprehensive. in the last hour, east timor has become the world's newest nation. it was a bloody birth for a poor country, and the challenges ahead are daunting. but for now, at least, it is time to celebrate. this is bbc news. our main headline: a special prosecutor, robert mueller, has been appointed to investigate alleged russian interference in the us election. the number of child migrants and refugees travelling alone around the world has reached record numbers. the united nations is warning that many of them are at risk

of being exploited by smugglers and traffickers. our correspondent caroline hawley has been to greece, where she's been talking to children who've fled war and poverty they had to pass through five different countries to get here. three afghan orphans now being looked after at a shelter in athens. the leader is 15, his brother is 13 and the other one 1a. their parents we re and the other one 1a. their parents were killed in a taliban bomb. the boys arrived here in march after a month—long journey, partly on foot in the hands of smugglers. hamid says they now wish to join their 18—year—old brother in sweden. how difficult was the journey? what

was the hardest part? with so many migrants now stuck in greece, there is not enough space in shelters for all that the unaccompanied children. there are stories of teenagers working for no pay, of prostituting themselves for pocket money. one in ten of the children who arrive in greece travel alone. his brothers told me their pa rents alone. his brothers told me their parents sent them to europe to avoid them being conscripted in syria. translation: they are taking many children like us from the age of 16 into the war to fight. in a sheltered a living, 21 teenagers

learning how to play again. the man in charge of the refuge fled as a refugee as a child himself. translation: these children have psychological difficulties. they have sleep problems, oppressiveness, self harm. not wanting to eat or be around other people. some of them will be scarred for life by what they have been through. and the un says that record numbers of children are now on the move around the world without their parents. driven from their countries by conflict and desperation. much more must be done, it says, to protect them. let's quickly roundups are more of the main use. the french president has unveiled a cabinet from across the political spectrum. an equal number of men and women. pre— european conservative is a economy minister and the outgoing socialist defence minister moves to foreign

affairs. a liberal member of the european parliament gets defence and is the highest ranked woman. the king of the netherlands has revealed he has been flying commercial passenger aircraft in secret twice a month for the last 21 years. he came to the dutch foreign four years ago and told a newspaper that he finds flying fantastic. he said he never uses his name when he welcomes passengers on board and is rarely recognised. the foreign minister of sudan has said that the country's president will travel to saudi arabia to take part in the summer of which the us president will make a speech. he is wanted by the international criminal court by fall crimes committed in the bye for conflict. —— darfur conflict. here in the uk, the liberal democrat party has pledged to hold a second referendum on the final brexit deal — if they win

the british general election. in their manifesto — which they launched on wednesday — the party promised to spend billions more on housing, education and the national health service. it would be funded in part by a penny increase on income tax. other policies include the legalisation of cannabis and a future ban on sales of diesel cars and vans. here's our political correspondent, vicki young. even before he spoke, the platform was clear — tim farron wants his election to be about brexit. and, under the bright lights of a packed east london nightclub, the lib dem leader made his pitch to voters concerned about the consequences of leaving the eu. someone is going to have the final say over the final brexit deal. it could be the politicians, or it could be the people. i believe it must be the people. but is his message getting through? i caught up with mr farron as he toured a school. certainly there are people in this country lacking hope. they think the only thing on the table is theresa may's vision of us leaving the eu with a hard brexit. there are many people who voted to remain who accept that result, something you're unwilling to do, and they feel that you have to get on with it now.

many think theresa may is the person to do that. i think what there is are many people who feel they have given up the fight. and what i am saying to people is, i haven't, and if you believe that britain's future is better alongside our neighbours in europe, you should not be forced to accept a stitch—up between brussels and london. you should have the final say. the liberal democrat manifesto also promises £7 billion of extra investment in education in england, an increase in corporation tax and a penny rise in income tax to fund spending on health in england, an end to the freeze on working age benefits, and the party plans to legalise cannabis. there is no mention, though, of abolishing tuition fees in england, a policy the lib dems abandoned when they went into coalition with the conservatives. do you now accept tuition fees are the right thing to do and they are working? i voted against the rising fees

and it is important that people keep their word. that is why my advice to others is, don't make promises you cannot keep. would you reverse it now, why not put the reverse on it? we would put significant money into returning grants to students to make sure it is affordable. here in southwest london, the lib dems hope for a comeback. the area voted overwhelmingly against brexit. so, how is their promise of another referendum going down with remain voters? it is childish to thinkjust because you don't like a decision that has been made and voted for that you can go and reverse it or rearrange it. this is democracy, the country we live in, and we should support that and stand by that, even though the decision wasn't one i liked. i don't think that the fight should ever stop. i think it is far too important and it affects far too many lives. yes, we should carry on fighting until we have no fight left. i was disappointed with the news about a potential referendum. i think that ship has sailed now and it is about trying to get

the best kind of brexit. so, how many seats do you need to gain to keep yourjob? my sense is we need to increase the number of seats, the vote share, but what we need above all else is to offer the british people this chance. this is the last chance for britain. if you believe britain is open, tolerant and united, if you reject the extreme version of brexit that theresa may, jeremy corbyn and ukip pushed through the house of commons, if you want that, then the lib dems are the only party offering hope. two years, ago the lib dems narrowly avoided a election wipeout but they are hoping the vote to leave the eu has thrown then a political lifeline. most restaurants play music while their customers are eating. perhaps it's a bit of smooth jazz or maybe a romantic ballad. but at one restaurant in london they've started playing something a little more bespoke. and you'll get to listen to it in the dark. the bbc‘s tim allman explains.

the chef is hard at work at his restau ra nt the chef is hard at work at his restaurant in london, determined to find just the right combination of tastes to make is to perfect. but could something be missing? not a herb nori spice but a little musical accompaniment? this composer has come up with something he hopes will make your meal easier to swallow. the way i thought about this was to try and turn this meal into a story. so there chef, he gave me his initial ideas and then i started thinking about how can i turn this into a narrative? how can i make music from this? this is already an unusual restaurant where you can eat in the dark. each dish has its own

custom—made piece of music. so the diners are taken behind the curtain to enjoy and audio go stroke extravaga nza to enjoy and audio go stroke extravaganza in pitch black surroundings. of course, it is quite difficult to show you this on television. once they finish and got used to the light, what was the verdict? it made me think a lot more, to be honest, which is quite weird. why, it made me feel like i was underwater when clearly i was not. an apparent success. as they say, if music be the food of love, play on. time for us to put out the lights. much more on the news at any time on our website. you can reach us on twitter. thank you for watching. hello.

i know many gardeners in england wanted some rain, but i suspect some of those gardens are now water—logged after what happened during wednesday. this is one soggy picture from lincolnshire. and in fact it was at coningsby, in lincolnshire, that was one of the wettest places during wednesday, notching up about 40mm of rain — that is nearly a month worth of rain in 2a hours, but you can see elsewhere widely around 20—a0mm of rain from this weather system and clearing now into the north sea. we have a few showers for northern ireland and western scotland, parts of wales, north—west england stayed dry. now we are looking at a fresher feel to things during thursday and for the next few days as we bring in some slightly cooler air. it is more noticeably fresher, less humid rather than cooler because, actually, in some sunshine, where we had the rain during wednesday, it will feel warmer. the sun will eventually come out after perhaps a cloudy start in east anglia and south—east england. elsewhere, plenty of blue sky to begin the day. take a look at things at 8am. some sunshine in the channel islands after wednesday wet weather.

plenty of blue sky in south—west england. again brightening up in the far east of england after perhaps a cloudy start. now there is a chance from the word go of picking up a shower somewhere in wales, north—west england. northern ireland, don't be fooled by a dry bright start, cloud will build quite quickly in the morning, showers break out and there will be one or two across western part of scotland to begin the day. let's go on through thursday and see how the weather develops then. quite quickly the cloud builds in northern ireland. the risk of catching a slow—moving heavy and possibly thundery downpours may come with a bit of hail as well. some beefy showers developing in scotland, too, especially to the north. one or two heavy showers for the afternoon for northern england, for wales and south—west england. maybe an isolated one late in the day in the midlands. much of east anglia and south—east england staying dry. a fresher feel to things, but again quite pleasant in some sunshine. things cool down when the showers move through. some of the showers continue during thursday evening. but as we go through thursday night and into friday morning, another area of rain running up the eastern side of england. during friday, that could actually

move across more of the uk, more of northern england and scotland, as we go on through the day. so there's still some uncertainty about this weather system. keep checking the forecast. elsewhere on friday, we're expecting sunshine, showers again, temperatures into the mid—teens. cooler though where you have any persistent rain rather than showers. we're going to keep low pressure close by going the weekend. perhaps some rain across part of scotland to begin saturday. elsewhere sunshine and showers. throughout the weekend, pleasant in some sunshine. cool with the showers, that could be heavy. fresh—feeling days and there will be some chilly nights. this is bbc news, the headlines: the us department ofjustice has announced the appointment of a special prosecutor to lead the investigation into alleged russian interference in last year's presidential election. he's a former head of the fbi, robert mueller. the venezuelan government has reinforced its military presence in the state of tachira along the colombian border which it considers a centre for anti—government radicalism. the defence minister said 2,600 troops would be sent to quell

looting and rioting. the number of child migrants and refugees travelling alone around the world has reached record numbers, according to the united nations children's fund, unicef. the un says at least 300,000 children applied for asylum last year and warns many are at risk of being exploited by smugglers and traffickers. now on bbc news, click. this week: regenerating teeth, unusual vegetation, and,